The shot most amateur golfers and even Tour pros have trouble with is the 30 to 50 yard pitch shot. Tour professionals are great course managers and as such when laying up on a par 5 will always leave themselves a full 3rd shot. The half shot is far trickier to judge and requires great skill. However the half shot can’t always be avoided as golf is not a game of perfect.

To play this half shot firstly narrow the stance, maybe as wide as three clubheads with the ball played in the middle of the stance. When I give clinics to students I like them to picture a clock face. In the backswing the left forearm (not the clubhead) should reach 9 o’clock and the follow through should finish at 3 o’clock. That is the length of swing that produces the best results. Once this swing length has been achieved the backswing should be smooth and slower than normal. Many people fall into the trap of swinging with the same speed as a full shot and decelerate in the downswing in their attempt to hit a short shot. To start hitting shots 30, 40and 50 yards you will need three different speeds of acceleration in the downswing.

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